


Open Wound

by a_sunkissed_plum



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora POV, Adora and Bow are Trans, Adora is a verse, Angst, Catra is a furry, Catra is a verse, Depictions of wounds, Enemy Lovers, Eventual Kink, Eventual Smut, F/F, Hate Sex, Unhealthy Relationships, implications of abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-10-22 01:15:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17653223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_sunkissed_plum/pseuds/a_sunkissed_plum
Summary: The gashes Catra left in Adora's back won't heal. Adora can't forgive Catra, yet she can't stand to be without her. Bow and Glimmer try to be supportive as Adora battles physical and mental illness. Catra and Adora are heavily conflicted but very gay. I wanted to write some horny and fucked up relationships, so here we are.





	1. Open Wound

**Author's Note:**

> CW: Depiction of wounds, treatment of wounds, implication of emotional abuse, implication of PTSD, self-depreciation, gender dysphoria, unhealthy relationships, miscommunication and yelling
> 
> HI there! welcome to my first attempt at a fic. I'm working on chapter two right now, the hope is this ends up being decently long. This might be some heavy stuff, so CWs will always be in the opening notes. If you don't want them, just read the notes after. Thank you or checking this out and let me know what you think!

The gashes wouldn’t heal.

_It had been what, a week now?_

Adora flinched under the pressure applied to her back. “I don’t get it,” Glimmer mumbled to herself as she finished removing the last bandage off Adora’s bare back. “The sword healed you up just fine everywhere else. What did Catra do to you when she scratched up your back?”

Adora shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Glimmer was right. While many of the sword’s powers were still a mystery to Adora, she had realized its presence accelerated the healing of any physical wound Adora received. Adora considered the possibilities of Glimmer’s question:

_Would Catra go as far as to use poison? No, that doesn’t make sense. She’s too proud, too proud of herself and too proud of her claws to do anything like that. But… Catra had changed, and maybe now she wouldn’t think of using poison as underhanded… but then again…_

“Adora… Adora are you even listening?” Adora snapped out of her thoughts with Glimmer’s complaint. “Sorry Glimmer… I-I didn’t mean to ignore you.” Adora turned to look at Glimmer standing behind her.

_Get your act together Adora. Don’t ignore your best friend like that._

Adora sighed and took a second to push back her spiraling thoughts. “I’m sorry. I’ve been out of it ever since the battle ended,” Adora confessed, “what were you saying?”

Glimmer’s mouth formed into a soft smile, “hey it’s ok, I know it may not seem like it, but I don’t need your attention at every waking moment. I was only asking to make sure I could clean your wounds.”

Adora nodded, “yeah that’s fine… thank you.”

Glimmer’s smile faded as Adora turned her head forward again. It was a sad sight: her close friend’s words seemed distant and Adora’s posture was too rigid to be ok. As she reached out to Adora’s back she hesitated. While she never liked the horde uniform Adora seemed to sentimentally carry, she greatly preferred the red wings to… this. When Catra clipped Adora’s wings, she had created an oozing and wet  mess. The wound just wouldn’t heal. Bow and Glimmer were frequently cleaning it, yet they were still scared of an infection; the blood dripping out of Adora’s wound refused to clot. Stomaching her disgust, Glimmer reached out, touching the mess that marred Adora’s muscular back.

“You know Adora, I’m your friend and I want to help. Can I ask what’s bothering you?”

“I don’t know, Glimmer. I’m used to battles and it’s not like we lost. I don’t know why I’m like this.”

Adora gritted her teeth as Glimmer accidentally pushed too hard behind her. “Ow.”

_Fuck that hurts_

“Oh shoot, I’m sorry Adora!”

“It’s fine, it’s not that bad,” Adora replied, not wishing to be a burden.

Adora wasn’t a convincing liar. The pain wasn’t much better either when she was walking around with a shirt and bandages on either. It didn’t help her mobility either. It’s position restricted her from sitting against the backs of chairs and it meant she couldn’t sleep in her normal position. Or, as normal of a sleeping position as she could have without someone purring at her feet.

“uh, Adora?” Glimmer probed, “Can I ask something… personal?”

“sure? I don’t see why not.”

“Is this because of Catra?” Glimmer asked after several seconds.

“The wound?” Adora responded in confusion, “why is that even a question?”

“No, not the marks.” Glimmer sighed, “you being all quiet and spacey like this.”

_Oh, I, is it?_

“I know you still miss her,” Glimmer mumbled.

_Obviously_

Adora was tight lipped, eerily still. She stared into nothing through an ornate window.

Glimmer sighed as she watched Adora remain motionless, head forward. She felt her heart drop an inch deeper into her chest at Adora’s lack of a response. It was often like this. Adora would get defensive when Glimmer pushed her on the Catra question.

“I just don’t see why you think she’s worth it, she’s cruel, power-hungry and evil.”

_So was I_

Glimmer stepped forward and to her left  to look at Adora’s face, concerned for her friend. Tears had started streaming down Adora’s cheeks. She continued to stare forward, ignoring Glimmer’s stare.

_You don’t know her. You don’t know what that place does to people, you don’t know me._

Glimmer reached out to wipe away Adora’s tears. She gasped as Adora grabbed her hand to stop her.

_Fuck Fuck Fuck_

_I can’t let her see me like this_

_She won’t understand_

“Please… just finish up with my back,” Adora said coldly, “and give me some space.”

They spent the next couple minutes in silence. Glimmer finished cleaning the wound and putting a salve on it. She bottled her frustration in as she moved to wrapping Adora’s back.

_Nice job Asshole, now your best friend hates you. Congrats on growing up in the horde shitbag. You can’t even feel emotions properly like a normal person. You may have left the horde, but you’re still horde scum. There’s no way a fucked-up thing from the horde like you could belong with a princess like her anyways._

_You’re not even a real girl._

Adora kneeled forward in her chair, resting her face on her knees, curling her head into her hands. Glimmer didn’t know what to do when Adora broke the silence with a sniffle, that turned into a second sniffle, which brought the tower of Adora’s emotional control tumbling down. she was sobbing, shaking and all folded up. Glimmer wanted to reach out to her friend, but curled up there, she seemed so far away. Besides, Adora had told her to leave her alone, maybe she had already pushed Adora too far? She finished up the bandage and took a step back.

“I’m sorry I pushed you so far Adora, please… just… If you ever want to talk, I’m here.”

_Look you monster, now you’re pushing her away_

“It’s just… you’re not normally like this. I’ve seen you fight countless times and half of those were against her. I… I can’t help if you don’t talk to me.”

Glimmer felt paralyzed. The girl that could lift boulders and tear apart tanks was faltering, crumbling. Glimmer was scared.

“I-I’m sure everything will be fine,” Glimmer stuttered to herself more than Adora. “You’re probably just recouping after all the crazy stuff that’s happened lately; between breaking me out of the fright zone, the She-Ra stuff in the temple and defending Brightmoon you’ve had a lot on your plate recently. R-right?

_No, that’s not it!_

Adora continued to cry, shaking like a bug does after it’s been stomped: Crumpled, weak, oozing blood. “Look I’m sure you’ll be back to normal soon, and we can get back to fighting the Horde again, and you can punch away your emotions no problem,” Glimmer attempted to joke.

“This i-isn’t normal Glimmer, even I know that,” Adora sobbed. “I-I can’t keep doing this, I can’t keep fighting the Horde.’

Glimmer looked to the ground and gritted her teeth. “Are you sure it’s the Horde? Sounds like you just don’t want to fight her.”

_Of course I don’t want to fight her_

“You don’t understand,” Adora replied, her voice gaining an edge.

“You’re right, I don’t,” Glimmer responded with her own sharpness. “I don’t understand how you can protect a scumbag like her.

_She’s not scum!_

“She’s responsible for countless deaths, yet you still protect her because-”

“Don’t say it,” Adora warned. The sobbing and the moistness in her voice was gone. Adora stood up and turned with her whole body to stare down Glimmer. “You don’t know what that place does to people.”

“That’s not what this is about!” Glimmer yelled, her words reverberating off the high ceiling. “I know that the Horde turns good kids into monsters! it's just, you’re protecting her, while you’re upset at me for helping you fix the very problem that she caused!  It’s not healthy! You’re treating me like garbage, but Catra gets special treatment because you love her more!

Glimmer was heaving, hot tears rolled down her face. Adora had wrapped her hands into tight shaking fists. They stood there, boiling in anger for a couple seconds, neither said anything.

Through gritted teeth, Adora broke the Silence, “I told you not to say it.”

“Yeah? well I did.”

_Bitch_

Adora closed her eyes and tool several deep and jagged breaths.

“Buzz off”

“Yeah? my pleasure,” replied Glimmer, before teleporting away.

Adora sat back down in her chair, head in her hands.

_Nice job shitbag_


	2. Quiet, yet not Silent and Close, yet not Quite Touching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Bow talk about trans shit and Adora's hubris. Bow is great friend and a wonderful boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya! Sorry for the wait on chapter two, I've been fighting physical illness and found employment again so I've been pretty busy. I'm gonna keep working on this and post when I can. I can't make any promises about a regular update schedule, but I will say that I'll be aiming for a new chapter every couple weeks or so, and I'm not gonna end this without letting y'all know. This chapter expanded a lot and was originally just a fragment of what I now have planned for chapter 3, which will have more catradora interaction and some smut too :3. Hope y'all enjoy it!
> 
> CW: hints of memory wiping, discussion of abuse, depictions of physical wounds, implications of gender dysphoria, happy talks about loving our trans bodies

Adora hadn’t moved from the chair since Glimmer left. She hadn’t put on a shirt, preferring only bandages to cover the stinging lines.

_ I guess I’ve missed dinner, huh? Good, Glimmer and I probably need space. _

_ Yeah, cause you yelled at her shitbag _

_ Fuck off, I’m not doing this _

Adora focused her attention to Etheria’s sky, admiring the starless night. 

_ It’s beautiful in an odd way, how the light dances before fading to black, like a flame burning brighter just before it dies _

A knock on the door interrupted her train of thought.

_ Oh god, not her right now _

“Glimmer, can you give me some spa-”

“Uh, Adora? Can I come in? I brought leftovers.”

_ Oh, it’s just Bow _

“Yeah, sure.”

Bow opened the door and stepped inside. He was greeted by the sight of Adora slumped forward in her chair. As she stared out the window, Bow took in the sight of bandages, already slightly discolored, on a backdrop of tightly knit muscle.

“Sorry I didn’t realize you were undressed, If you want to put on a shirt I-”

“Bow it’s fine,” Adora said with the suggestion of a smile forming on her lips. “I’ve seen you countless times in your crop tops and you’ve been bandaging me up the past week as well”

_ Leave it to Bow to be so sweet, _

“Look, crop tops are a whole different thing, I’m not flashing anyone at all,” Bow joked as he pulled up a chair and sat a plate of food down next to Adora.

“Tell that to the countless people i see fawning over you left and right, hot stuff,” Adora responded, turning to finger gun towards her friend.

Bow chuckled as he sat down next to Adora. He thought for sure that she’d be distant with how upset Glimmer had been earlier. He took it as a good sign.

“You sure they aren’t just distracted by a certain muscular eight foot tall lesbian?”

“I’m not She Ra all the time,” Adora joked.

“Just when cute girls are around, huh?” 

“Bow don’t call me out.”

_ I still can’t believe someone can be like this, so open and cheerful _

For a couple seconds they sat there, occasionally exchanging glances, but mostly gazing out the window, enjoying the quiet of night. Scooting her chair closer, Adora raised an eyebrow and looked to Bow’s shoulder. Bow saw the question and nodded, letting Adora rest her head on her familiar crying spot. 

“I’m glad that we turned out this way,” Adora whispered, breaking the silence as she pulled close to Bow’s warmth.

“What way?”

“You know, that our bodies are like this. That we get to feel good about them. They’re not perfect, but they’re us, you know?”

“Yeah, i feel you”

_ I’m glad _

Bow adjusted his arm, draping it over Adora’s distant shoulder. Adora leaned further into her friends shoulder, grateful for a support that didn’t dig into her back.

“Hey can I ask a question, about body stuff?” Bow asked after a second.

“Shoot away Cupid” 

Bow laughed at the nickname Adora had given him after he set Adora and Glimmer up, before continuing, “How did they do it in the Horde? Did they use the same spell they do here?”

Adora considered the question, searching for memories that were hazy at best . “I’m not totally sure. Shadow Weaver did it when I was a kid, so I don’t know if it’s like the same or not”

Bow nodded. He hadn’t necessarily expected Adora to have a concrete answer.

“Not like I knew much about magic growing up in the Horde either. When she changed my world like that, gave me this voice, this face, a body that wasn’t connected to the person I thought I had to be, I was in awe. I felt... connected to her.”

“Yeah i bet,” Bow gingerly reassured.”you felt like you owed her?”

“Kinda, I guess? Like, the feeling of debt never really crossed my mind. It was more that, I thought she was amazing: fighting princesses, making the world better, helping freaks like me. it’s scary how much I idolized her.”

“Yeah, I can see that. I’m sorry that’s really fucked up, her using you like that.”

_ It wasn’t that simple _

“I-uh, it’s not really that black and white, Bow. Like sure she’s definitely manipulative and responsible for countless deaths. But there were signs I should have seen, for both her and the Horde. I’m not a helpless victim. I should have seen how evil that place was sooner.”

Bow puzzled over Adora’s statement. “Is it ok if I have a moment to think and respond to that?” 

“Yeah sure.”

“Cool, in the meantime you should eat your vegetables, mighty She-ra” he joked removing his arm from Adora’s shoulder and forcing the forgotten plate into her lap.”

“Sure thing Cupid.”

Adora ate slowly, she wasn’t in any rush. While the air was free of voices for a minute or two, it wasn’t uncomfortable. In that space of quiet, yet not silent and close, yet not quite touching, Adora felt her anxieties melt away.For a brief moment, she forgot the pain in her back and the pain in her heart.  _ Is this what home is supposed to feel like? _

Once Adora had made her way through half of the plate, Bow interrupted the quiet and Adora’s thoughts with it. “I think you’re trying to be careful to recognize things you’ve done wrong.”

_ Well of course yeah _

“But it’s more than that Adora. Sometimes it seems like you’re trying to be responsible for way more than is humanly possible. Like, when you wanted to hold back all of the Horde as She-ra alone when they attacked Brightmoon. It’s courageous, but it’s also foolish.”

_ I, I guess but, it’s, I’m She Ra now, I can usually handle it _

“Bow, how does that even connect with Shadow Weaver?”

“I’m getting there. Shadow Weaver probably did the odd nice thing, but that doesn’t mean the way she manipulated you was acceptable at all. And you shouldn’t be hard on yourself for not seeing the Horde was evil right away. You’ve basically been brainwashed since you were a kid.”

Adora dropped her head to stare at the floor, the food in her hand now forgotten.

Bow rested his hand on Adora’s near shoulder, gripping lightly. “Can I ask something?”

“Yeah?”

“Is it Catra?”

“Is what Catra?”

“Why you’re being hard on yourself, maybe trying to protect her or something?”

_ Oh, ah fuck _

Adora set down the plate and curled her knees up to her chest,wrapping her arms around her legs.

Bow scanned Adora for body language, she wasn’t rigid like how she would get before snapping or dissociating, but she still wasn’t doing great. He gently removed his hand, dropping it to his side.

“Do you want to talk about it or?”

_ He wouldn’t get it _

Adora shook her head

Bow sighed, “alright Adora.”

Adora loosend, just slightly.

_ Thank you _

“I’m sorry Bow,” Adora mumbled, resting her head on her knees..

Bow raised an eyebrow in confusion. 

“I know i’ve been crabby and distant”

Bow reassured her, “you haven’t done anything to apologize for Adora, at least not anything to me”

_ Yeah, remember when you pissed off Glimmer, fuckass _

_ Fuck off, you’re not helping _

Adora sighed, “normally I would be better though, it’s hard to hit things when I’m trapped in Brightmoon to heal.”

“Ah yeah, I can see that.”

She was right and Bow knew it. While he knew how necessary it was for her to heal physically, Adora would only bottle up and self-isolate more if she didn’t get out. After considering the dilemma for a couple seconds, Bow sighed.

“Adora?”

“Yeah?”

“If you want, I could sneak you out for a bit tonight, we wouldn’t go far, and I’d make sure you don’t get into any trouble.”

_ Oh hell yes _

“I thought you’d never ask, Cupid”

 


End file.
